Making Good Friends

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Looking to build new friendships? These tips can help you meet people, start a conversation, and cultivate healthy connections that will improve your life and well-being.

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Why are friends so important?

Our society tends to place an emphasis on romantic relationships. We think that just finding that right person will make us happy and fulfilled

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Friendships have a huge impact on your mental health and happiness. Good friends relieve stress, provide comfort and joy, and prevent loneliness and isolation

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The benefits of friendships

While developing and maintaining friendships takes time and effort, healthy friendships can:

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Improve your mood

Spending time with happy and positive friends can elevate your mood and boost your outlook.

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Help you to reach your goals

. Whether you're trying to get fit, give up smoking, or otherwise improve your life, encouragement from a friend can really boost your willpower and increase your chances of success.

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Effects

Compassion tends to be based on taking action, whereas empathy is rooted in feeling. Because compassion is action-based, people are more likely to feel that their efforts have been useful.

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Similarities Between Compassion and Empathy

"Burnout usually has a gradual onset in which we tend to feel physically, emotionally, and mentally exhausted after having been in a prolonged state of stress," Stone says.

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When giving/caring/showing up for someone else feels more frustrating, stressful, and anxiety provoking for you—often to the extent that you struggle

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Offering help to someone in need

This might include aiding someone with a task, such as carrying someone's groceries to their car. Or it might involve offering other

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